Atlantic Racquet Press – 

Spring - Summer - Winter 2004


Becky Deringer
MAC Commonwealth top player, Becky Deringer: Becky Deringer, after being named rookie of the year in the MAC Commonwealth in 2001, set a goal to become the No. 1 player at Moravian College by the time she was a senior. She achieved her goal. Deringer, a Dieruff grad, capped a Moravian career this year that included 51 singles wins.  Deringer said that she was honored to receive the award since it came from the coaches of other schools.

Winter:

* Embrace Your Dreams: Embrace Your Dreams (EYD), a non-profit organization in the Lehigh Valley, has completed its 5th year of providing tennis to underserved youngsters in the Allentown, Bethlehem, Easton region.  This past summer, 2 4-week a.m. and 2 4-week p.m. sessions were held.  The morning sessions took place at the City of Allentown public Jordan Park courts; the afternoon sessions took place at the City of Bethlehem public Sand Island and Illick’s Mill courts.  Approximately 150 youngsters participated in the 2004 program which ran daily, Monday through Friday.  The EYD program also includes a character development component designed to help youngsters build self-esteem and self-discipline.  

 Stroudsburg YMCA Kidz Faire: The Stroudsburg YMCA hosted Kidz Faire on June 26th and 27th, from 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. each day, at Shawnee Mountain.  Over 1000 children and their families attended.  Local merchants and businesses, youth sports groups, community services and others participated in the two days of fun and information for youth.  USTA/MS/EPD sponsored a booth at the event.  Organizer, Barbara VanBuskirk, along with volunteers Don Arbaugh, Joe Romano, Kathy Stines, Kerry Ferguson, Iwonna Koscielniak, Daria Kocielniak, Lisa Breen, Lauren Breen and Ann Robertson, took turns feeding tennis balls to youngsters who attempted to hit balls at targets to win prizes.  The booth also helped promote the Tennis Welcome Center initiative.

 * Lake Naomi Tennis Club Fund Raiser: On Sunday, August 8th, the Lake Naomi Club held the first annual tennis fundraiser to benefit the Clymer Library of Pocono Pines.  The event was a mixed tennis round-robin that ran from 1:00 – 5:00 p.m.  Prizes donated by local businesses, area residents and the surrounding communities, were awarded to players and attendees.  Trophies were presented to the three men and three women having the highest scores.  Men’s winners included: Justin Feiner, first place; Dr. Sam Olsher second place; Arnold Gwirtzman third place. Women’s winners were: Julie Spitzer, first place, Linda Breen, second place, Susan Scheremata third place.  Trophies were presented by Barb VanBuskirk, USTA/MS Co-Chair Community Tennis Development.  A buffet dinner, prepared by the Lake Naomi Club staff, was served after the afternoon of tennis.  Thanks to organizer Don Arbaugh and his committee, volunteers, donors, Lake Naomi staff and beautiful weather, over $12,000 was raised for the Clymer Library.

 EPD District Youth Team Tennis Championship: Six teams in the 14’s division and 6 teams in the 18’s division played at Westend Tennis & Racquet Club in July for the title of District Youth Team Tennis Champion.  A version of World Team Tennis was played.  The winner of the 14’s division was Westend with Pocono 1 being the finalist.  In the 18’s, Valley Tennis and Swim Club was the Champ with Pocono the finalist.  Teams from Pocono, Valley Tennis & Swim, Westend, Oakmont, Central Catholic, and Embrace Your Dreams participated in both age categories.  USTA/MS provided trophies, water bottles and food

 * Theodore J. Zeller Memorial Tennis Tournament: Eighty-one junior players competed in the Theodore J. Zeller Memorial Tennis Tournament which was held August 17-19th at the Westend Racquet Club in Allentown, PA.  The USTA sanctioned tournament included entrees from the Lehigh Valley and eastern PA, boys and girls, ages under 12 to 18.  Neil Curtis, tournament director and head pro at Westend, said the tournament was one of the most successful in recent years.  Helene Zeller, wife of the late Ted Zeller, founded the tournament to honor her husband who died of cancer in 1976.  Over the years, proceeds from the tournament have been given to the American Cancer Society. 

 * Winners: Two teams from USTA/MS/EPD advanced to the National Championships by winning the USA League Tennis MS Section Senior Championships held September 10-12 at Princeton, NJ Congratulations to both teams!

 * 

MS Campus Championship: The MS Campus Championship was held Saturday, October 23, at Lehigh University.  Teams that participated included: College of New Jersey; Delaware; Lafayette; Lehigh; Moravian; Penn State; Philadelphia Biblical; Rutgers; University of Pennsylvania and Villanova. 

 Summer:

 * Cystic Fibrosis Pro-Am Tennis Tournament 2004: Westend Racquet Club hosted the nineteenth annual Cystic Fibrosis Pro-Am Tennis Tournament on February 22, 2004.  This annual event, which began in 1985 to help raise money to fight Cystic Fibrosis, is believed to be the longest running event of its kind in the United States.   The night before the tournament, a formal dinner and ball was held at the Holiday Inn in Fogelsville, PA.  At the ball, each team, comprised of one professional and one amateur, was auctioned off to the highest bidder.  Each bidder then became the owner of a team.  Team owners then chose from an impressive list of prize packages according to how their team finished in the tournament the following day.  This year, for the first time, there was mixed doubles played in the morning followed by men's doubles in the afternoon.

 Neil Curtis, Head Tennis Professional at Westend Racquet Club and tournament director since its inception, said, "This is a great event for a very worthwhile cause.  What really makes it so special is that almost everyone who participates does so without being paid.  It is almost exclusively voluntary, including the ten local tennis professionals who put in a very long day of tennis.  Next year will be our twentieth so it promises to be a very special event."  

 * Club Tennis: The first ever USTA/Middle States/Eastern PA District college campus tournament "Club Tennis" was held on Saturday, April 17, 2004, at Lehigh University. Thanks go to Coach Dave Shook from Lehigh for allowing use of the facility for the event and to Coach Dawn Benner of Moravian for helping plan the event. Eight Middle States teams participated.   Teams and their captains included: Lehigh University, 2 teams, captains Keri Lubchansky and Randy Tripp; Penn State University, 2 teams, captains Justin DiPietropaolo and Thad Gelsinger; Villanova University, captain Jessica Hartzell; Moravian College, captain Sarah Tritt; Rutgers University, captain Joey Braha; University of Pennsylvania, co-captains Rebbecca Sykes & Kraig Tuber.

 Players in this 1 day tournament displayed a high level of competition and good sportsmanship.  Both Penn State teams came out on top.  However, there were many close matches and keen competition.   All  involved hope to create a Middle States fall "Club tennis" league that will qualify Middle States teams for the USTA National Championship in Florida in 2005.  Their goal is to increase the number of colleges and/or universities playing “Club Tennis”, thus giving more college tennis players the opportunity to compete and enjoy the sport.

 * Kidsfest: Hundreds of games, activities and shows filled Lehigh University’s  Stabler Arena and Rauch Fieldhouse at the Bethlehem, PA campus on Sunday, April 18, 2004 for the 9th annual Kids Fest.  More than 20,000 children and their families attended.  Over 100 local businesses and community organizations offered activities and entertainment for children ages 2-12.  USTA/Middle States sponsored a booth with a mini-court.  Youngsters, coached by EPD pros and volunteers, tried to hit a target and win a prize.  Fun was had by all the young, aspiring tennis players who each hit or got close enough to the target to get a prize.

 * Birchwood #1:   Birchwood Racquet Club opened its doors in 1975 and has been a center of tennis and community involvement ever since. With six indoor carpet courts and three outdoor Har-Tru (clay) courts, Birchwood provides tennis programs and lessons of all kinds for adults and kids of all ages and levels.

 Birchwood Racquet Club in Clarks Summit has had a long tradition of developing junior tennis players in Northeastern Pennsylvania, including state champions and nationally ranked players.   In 2003, a new class of juniors from Team Birchwood made their mark in District tournaments. Of the ten divisions in the Eastern Pennsylvania District, Team Birchwood juniors  ranked #1 in seven divisions including: Jessica King – Girls 10; Kristen Gensiak – Girls 12; Brittany Ostrowski – Girls 14; Alex Sebia – Girls 16; Timmy McGurrin – Boys 12; Peter Cognetti – Boys 14; and PJ Marranca – Boys 16.  A total of 43 Team Birchwood juniors earned EPD single’s rankings in 2003 and that number is expected to increase in 2004. 

In the Girls 10, Jessica King of Clarks Summit  had a year that most young tennis          player’s dream about. In addition to achieving the #1 EPD ranking in her division,      Jessica finished in the top 8 in the National “Little Mo” Tennis Championships held in    Austin, Texas, and earned her first Middle States ranking in the Girls 12. 

 With the addition of new Tennis Director Tim Haus and the return of Head Pro Bill    Steege, the future of Team Birchwood junior tennis is looking bright in Northeast PA!

 * Meet the USTA/MS/EPD 2004 Officers and Committee/Chairs:

   President: Jack Monick                       jxm15@psu.edu
   First Vice President: Don Potts              dpotts@fast.net
   Treasurer: Judy Neunzig                      NA
   Secretary: Ellen Bishop                      ebishop718@aol.com

   Regional Vice Presidents:
      Poconos: Ken Baumel                       kb@newsfax.com
      Wilkes Barre/Scranton: Shawn Gravish      mrgravish@hotmail.com
      Berks/Schuylkill: Ralph Tutlane           kingtut039@aol.com
      Lehigh Valley: Syman Hirsch               syhsays@aol.com
Executive Secretary: Barb VanBuskirk            tennis512000@hotmail.com
District Delegate/Past President: Bob Wakiyama  wakiyama@losch.net

Committee/Chairs People:
      Rankings: Ralph Tutlane             kingtut039@aol.com
      Awards: Jan Snyder                        jsnyder603@rcn.com
      Budget: Judy Neunzig                      NA
      Communication (email): Jack Monick  jxm15@psu.edu
      Communication (website): Ken Baumel kb@newsfax.com
      Fundraising: TBA
      Grants: Sy Hirsch                   syhsays@aol.com
      Area Activities: Penny Ruchno       P_ruckno@yahoo.com
      District Activities: TBA
      Membership: Dawn Ketterman-Benner   medmk01@moravian.edu
      Multicultural: Ellen Bishop               ebishop718@aol.com
      Programs: TBA
      Publicity/Schedules: Loretta DeWalt       racketsports@fast.net
      USA Team Tennis: Bob Wakiyama       wakiyama@losch.net
      Tournaments: Tim Haus               HAUSTA@aol.com
      Umpires: Mary Beatty
      CTA: Don Potts                      dpotts@fast.net
      League Tennis: Judy Neunzig               NA

 

* New USA Manager for Middle States/EPD…Bruce Kisthardt: Many of you may already have met Bruce.  He has been working very hard in his new position as "USA Manager".  Bruce is the liaison to the Eastern Pennsylvania District (EPD). His job is to promote and help get new USA Tennis programs started.   He will help with adult and youth Team Tennis, Welcome Centers, tennis instruction, tournaments, leagues, school and college (non-varsity) programs and wheelchair and special population tennis programs throughout EPD.  He is available to answer questions, visit tennis sites and help tennis programs no matter how large or small. Bruce says, “My job is to help Grow the Game of Tennis”. Bruce also, assists EPD on tennis projects and   provides information concerning, USTA and Middle States Scholarships and Grants. Bruce can be reached at bkisthardt@msn.com or by phone at 610-706-0940. 

* Tidbits:

o  Bruce Kisthardt, USA Manager invites EPD organizations to become Welcome Centers by simply going to www.partnersTenniswelcomecenter.com for information on how to register. USTA will advertise all EPD's "Welcome Center" locations at no cost to the participant. Also, free Welcome Center material will be sent to participants. Anyone who gives tennis instruction and has tennis programs and welcomes new players qualifies to be a "Welcome Center". Facilities need to have qualities that will provide a great new player "experience". 

o The dates for Keystone Games: August 3-7, 2004

o Help Wanted: Captain and players for Inter-district Women's 45s (July 30-Aug 1, NJ, 3 doubles, 2 singles) and Women's 55s (July 23-25, DE, 4 doubles, one singles).  For more information, contact Barbara VanBuskirk, Ex Sec. USTA/MS/EPD at 570-992-4977 or tennis512000@hotmail.com. 

Spring: 

·        WINNERS, WINNERS, WINNERS...Thank you to all individuals and teams who play tennis in events within EPD as well as those who represent EPD in Middle States and National Events. Kudos to all participants and congratulations to all winners!  EPD is truly fortunate to have so many tennis enthusiasts, players and winners!!!

 ·        The United States Tennis Association/Middle States Section/Eastern PA District Awards- The United States Tennis Association/Middle States Section/Eastern PA District’s 2003 Annual Meeting was held on Sunday, November 16th, at Moravian College, Haupert Union Building, in Bethlehem, PA.  Following the meeting, a Reception and Awards Presentation Luncheon was held.  USTA/MS/EPD 2003 Award Winners, PIAA State Winners, and the Moravian College Women’s Tennis Team---Middle Atlantic Athletic Conference 2003 Team Champions, Division III and their coach, Dawn Ketterman-Benner, were recognized. 

 Awards presented included:  

o       Pro of the Year- Craig Cronrath, Nesquehoning , PA

o       Club of the Year- Birchwood Racquet Club, Clark Summit , PA

o       Organization of the Year- Embrace Your Dreams (Allentown/Bethlehem)

o       Organization of the Year- Pike Tennis Association, Ken Baumel

o       Media of the Year- Scranton Times

o       Family of the Year- Dale Reppert Family, Kutztown , PA

o       Volunteer of the Year- Sally Evans, Bethlehem PA

o       High School Coach of the Year- Walt Cole, Pen Argyle High School

o      College Coach of the Year- Dave Shook, Lehigh University  

o       PIAA State Winners:

·        Christene Kansky- AA Girls Singles State Champion 2003, Crestwood High School

·        Ashley Reed and Courtney Reed- AA Girls Doubles State Champions 2003, Wyomissing High School

·        Wyomissing High School- AA Girls Team State Champions 2003- Sally Allen, Coach

·        Ravi Pujara and Usman Zafar- AA Boys Doubles State Champions 2003, Blue Mountain High School

·        Moravian Academy- AA Boys Team State Champions 2003- Tom Schoeninger, Coach

in addition, certificates of appreciation were given to EPD Board Members Sally Evans, Bruce Kisthardt, Janice Snyder, Dawn Benner and John Radzwillowicz.  Jack Monick, 2004 EPD President, presented Bob Wakiyama, out-going EPD President, with a plaque.

Bette Salmon, Middle States President, attended both the EPD Annual Meeting and the Awards Presentation Luncheon.  She congratulated all award recipients and spoke to the crowd about the goals of Middle States.

 Prizes donated by USTA/MS and Fromuth Tennis were given away.

 ·        Moravian College Women’s Tennis Team- The Moravian College women’s tennis team, the Greyhounds, won their fourth consecutive MAC title and seventh in the last eight years.  Having lost four starters from last year’s team and thirteen players from the program over the past two years, coach Dawn Benner knew it would be a tough season.  Benner credits the girls for getting themselves ready for the season by playing USTA leagues and taking lessons over the summer prior to the season.  She also credits the addition of assistant coach Sarah Tritt.  Tritt attended Southwest Texas State in San Marcos , Texas .   She is currently tennis director for the Embrace Your Dreams program, which provides tennis for underserved youngsters.   

 3.0 Scores:      

            First-Oakmont Tennis Club (49 Points)

            Second- Northwood Racquet and Fitness Club (45 points)

            Third- Pocono (35 points)

            Fourth- West End Racquet Club (33 points)

 3.5 Scores:

            First- Oakmont Tennis Club (50 points)

            Second- Pocono (40 points)

            Third- West End (35 points)

 All had fun… and good sportsmanship prevailed!

Thanks go to Don Potts, Bruce Kisthardt and Barb VanBuskirk for their organizational efforts.  

National Champs- The Sand Island Super Senior team, captained by Bill Marston, won the 3.5 national doubles tennis championship in Scottsdale , Arizona , November 21-23, 2003 .  To qualify for the national championships, the team won the Lehigh Valley league as well as the sectional championships in Lancaster , Pa , where they competed against teams from PA, NJ and DE.  Ten teams from across the United States competed at the national tournament in Scottsdale , AZ.   The Sand Island Team defeated teams from Maryland , Michigan , New York , Colorado , and Missouri to win the championship.

Team members who competed in Arizona include:  from Bethlehem - Bill Marston, Captain, and Ray Zinas; from Easton - Joel Dean, Jules Pigliacampi and Jack Thaler; from Nazareth – Larry Walter; from Scranton – Dale Wise; and from Washington , NJ – John Keck.

 Great Job, guys!

 ·   2003 Junior Singles First Place Rankings- These young players could some day be adult champions.

Boy’s 10- Bret Lesavoy                       Girl’s 10- Jessica King

Boy’s 12- Timmy McGurrin                  Girl’s 12- Kristen Gensiak

Boy’s 14- Peter Cognetti                      Girl’s 14- Brittany Ostrowski

Boy’s 16- PJ Marranca                        Girl’s 16- Alex Sebia

Boy’s 18- Paul Frankhouser                 Girl’s 18- Anne Eiskowitz  

 Boys 10 Singles

 

1. Bret Lesavoy

2. Daniel Jasinski

2. Stephen Brand

4. Jeb Helmers

4. Eric Perez

6. Will Cognetti

6. Kristi Karanxha

 Boys 12 Singles

                      1. Timmy McGurrin

2. Michael Meyer

3. Josh Palmer

4. Bret Lesavoy

5. Guy Lesavoy

6. Michael Kaneff

7. Alexander Marchese

8. Derek Kopen

9. Phillip Altier

9. Will Cognetti

 B12 Singles Honorable Mention

                      Jason Alford

Bernard Appel

Shawn Bittinger

Luke Brady

Rory Corcoran

Michael DiSanto

Zachary Feldman

Alex Fratti

Matt Garbin

Sam Greene

Kai He

Jeb Helmers

Benjamin Hyers

Daniel Jasinski

Michael Kachmar

Thomas Karam

William Kenny

Jeffery Krenitsky

Devin Patel

Jimmy Saunders

Andrew Schwepfinger

Boys 14 Singles

1. Peter Cognetti

2. Tommy Meyer

3. Jarrett Siwiec

4. Evan Bolus

5. Jonathan Markson

6. Taggert McGurrin

7. Josh Palmer

8. Timmy McGurrin

9. Ryan Savitz

10. Christopher Finney

10. Jason Alford

10. Drew Slocum

Boys 14 Singles Honorable Mention

Sam Bellows

Julius Bolock

PJ Kachmar

Timothy Mathew

Jonathan Maula

Mark McNally

Andrew Newcomb

Fernando Perez

Tyler Reppert

Alex Rosen

Steven Rosen

Joshua Rosenberg

Joseph Rubin

Morten Thomsen

 Boys 14 Doubles

                       1. Derek Kopen/Morten Thomsen

2. PJ Kachmar/Drew Slocum

3. Rory Corcoran/Michael Kachmar

 Boys 16 Singles

                       1. PJ Marranca

2. Julius Bolock

3. Douglas Morrow

4. Tommy Meyer

5. Tyler Reppert

6. Jonathan Maula

7. Jarrett Siwiec

8. Taggart McGurrin

9. Michael Rosenzweig

10. Robe Paulson-Houser

10. Sagar Kamprath

10. Sam Bellows

10. Daniel Drago

 Boys 16 Singles Honorable Mention

                      Matthew Altimare

Sam Barrer

Zack Brady

Peter Cognetti

Naveen Dasa

Peter Eyvazzadeh

Ross Feinstein

Benjamin Felten

Ariel Maidansky

Kyle Manson

Brennan Miller

Chris Minora

Austin Peters

Robbie Silverblatt

Adam Sopko

Gregory Stepniak

Jared Surnamer

 Boys 18 Singles

                      1. Paul Frankhouser

 

Boys 18 Singles Honorable Mention

                      Matthew Altimare

Brad Hendershot

Patrick Luchowski

Peter Lutz

Jonathan Miller

Charles Morrow

Douglas Morrow

Matthew Prusack

Gentry Radwanski

Matthew Rogan

Jeffrey Rothstein

 

Boys 18 Doubles

 

1. PJ Marranca/Tommy Meyer

2. Patrick Luchowski/Matthew Rogan

3. Dustin Speicher/Geoff Whitley

4. Paul Frankhouser/Peter Lutz

5. Ryan Savitz/Kevin Raynes

 

Girls 10 Singles

 

1. Jessica King

2. Joana Karanxha

3. Courtney Ostrowski

4. Julianna Soroka

 

 

Girls 12 Singles

 

1. Kristen Gensiak

2. Anne Cognetti

3. Cassandra Bowman

4. Jessica King

5. Brittany Catalan

6. Courtney Ostrowski

7. Ashley Abda

8. Joana Karanxha

9. Julianna Soroka

 

Girls 12 Singles Honorable Mention

 

Jessica Dzugan

Rachel Hoffman

Brijelle Hudock

Nathalie Kocon

Michelle Perez

Lauren Rhine

Julie Anne Seidel

 

Girls 14 Singles

 

1. Kristen Gensiak

2. Anne Cognetti

3. Alexandra Nelson

4. Cassandra Bowman

5. Jessica King

 

Girls 14 Singles Honorable Mention

 

Emily Bogart

Jessica Foux

Kaytlin Kopen

Haley Lesavoy

Brittany Ostrowski

Courtney Ostrowski

Stephanie Vidov

Martha Wood

 

Girls 14 Doubles

 

1. Kristen Gensiak/Brittany Ostrowski

2. Cassandra Bowman/Erica Kurtzman

3. Jessica King/Courtney Ostrowski

 

Girls 16 Singles

 

1. Alex Sebia

2.  Brittany Ostrowski

3. Julie Gum

4. Megan Manahan

5. Lauren Abda

6. Katie Meyer

7. Catherine Stines

8. Dana Direnzo

9. Kristen Gensiak

10. Maria Farraro

 

Girls 16 Singles Honorable Mention

 

Lauren Andrews

Ashley Cesare

Katheri Chorpenning

Caroline Cognetti

Nicole Cruciani

Elizabeth Edwards

Julia Haney

Melissa Haney

Liz Karam

Allison Kolubinskyj

Natalie Kottke

Sherin Mathew

Kate Mickere

Alex Nelson

Courtney Reed

Tristin Reppert

Mallory Rozema

Nina Shah

Serina Stein

Kasey Struble

Kristen Struble

Stephanie Vidov

Melissa Weinstein

 

Girls 18 Singles

 

1. Anne Eiskowitz

2. Madeline Smith

3. Julia Ivanova

4. Ashley Wentzel

 Girls 18 Singles Honorable Mention  

Taryn Cappellini

Andrea Dragonette

Stephanie Gardner

Jillian Grieshaber

Jennifer Heckler

Micaela Lettrich

Heather Levine

Kerriann Lynn

Megan Manahan

Brittany Ostrowski

Elizabeth Pepe

Elizabeth Raposa  

Girls 18 Doubles  

1. Martha Blakely/Gabriela Mastromarino

2. Alex Sebia/Nina Shah

3. Ashley Reed/Courtney Reed

4. Kerrianne Lynn/Ashley Wentzel

5. Sarah Mennone/Ashley Wentzel              

The MECCO Cup USTA Pro Circuit $25,000 Women’s Tennis Tournament was played in June in Allentown at the Westend Racquet and Fitness Club.  

The 4th MECCO CUP $25,000 Women’s Tennis Tournament, hosted by Westend Racquet Club in Allentown , PA , will be held June 6-13, 2004 .  Qualifying matches will be held on Sunday and Monday, June 6th and 7th.  Main draw matches will be played beginning Tuesday June 8th and continue through Friday, June 11th.  Semi-finals will be played on Saturday, June 12th with the finals being held on Sunday, June 13th. 

Arthur Ashe Kids’ Day at the US Open- For the past 14 years, EPD President Bob Wakiyama has taken a group of youngsters from Schuylkill and Carbon Counties to the US Open.  This year, thanks to Middle States, 47 young tennis enthusiasts from Bob’s program received tickets to attend Kids’ Day.   

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